Freediving Isla Cozumel, Intercontinental Presidente
Intercontinental Presidente by Andre Navarro
Beautiful Isla Cozumel ! Returning to freedive Intercontinental Presidente has long been on my to do list. This picturesque resort has much to explore along it's shallow reefs and ship pieces turned into fish filled habitats. From hundreds of colorful and diverse Caribbean fish to corals, sponges, sea fans, whips, plumes and amazing ocean views. Intercontinental Presidente has it all and right off shore.
Purple Sea Fan by Andre Navarro
For this underwater exploration, we entered from the south of the resort, from the rocky shore reef. To enter from their property, you either have to be a paying guest or pay a beach day pass to use their facilities. The land leading into the ocean here is extremely jagged. Entering at the edge, I had to climb down into the water which varies from 2' to 5' in depth. Normally this is an easy task, but here you have to be extra careful not to rip your clothes or damage your fins on the rocks and especially to not cut yourself.
Isla Cozumel Shore Reefs by Andre Navarro
Immediately upon entry, you'll notice how clear the water is. The clear iconic turquoise waters you expect of the Caribbean. This area is towards the middle of the island, about 15 minutes south of Centro right before you head into the secluded southern half of the island. Due to it's location, it doesn't get effected as much by the murky current that flows from north. This results in often great conditions and underwater clarity. Also upon entry, you'll see lot's of Blade Fire Coral all along the shore. And where ever you find lot's of coral, comes lot's of fish, crustaceans and occasional eels.
Blade Fire Coral and Sergeant Majors by Andre Navarro
As we explored along the pristine shore reef towards Intercontinental Presidente, we saw many colorful Parrotfish, the majority being Yellowtail and Stoplight Parrotfish. There are also many striped Sergeant Majorfish and Bermuda Chubs always around. One of my favorite finds of the day was a large Spotted Moray Eel hanging out under a bunch of Blade Fire Coral and juvenile Sergeant Majorfish. There are many Eels to be found along the rocky shore reef as long as you know where to look. They usually have the majority of their body hidden in or under rocks and crevices. You'll just see their head sticking out and if their mouth is open, you'll also see their huge fang like teeth. Thank goodness these Eels are not aggressive.
Spotted Moray Eel by Andre Navarro
My second favorite find of the day was a tiny Banded Coral Shrimp which is a cleaner shrimp. It's so small and thin, it was confusing and did not register what I was looking at. You'll usually find these small colorful and unique looking shrimp like their name implies, in or around corals. The first thing you'll see is their long white antennae and long red banded arms with tiny claws. You'll also notice it's long white antennae slowly waving, which is an advertisement to passing fish that it will remove parasites, fungi and dead tissue from partakers. At first I was amazed the passing fish weren't eating the small shrimp, until I later found out through a Wikipedia search these shrimp are an asset to the fish as cleaners, worth more than an easy meal.
Banded Coral Shrimp by Andre Navarro
Along the shore reef to and in front of Intercontinental Presidente, you'll see many colorful and interesting Sea Fans, Plumes, Whips and Sponges. Which interestingly, are all animals, not plants. Even though they resemble from bushes to odd looking land plants, they are not. Usually these types of animals are clustered together along with other corals, creating mini cities of life attracting many diverse fish. One of the oddest looking fish I always observe cruising the shore reef are Grey Triggerfish, which look like swimming space aliens. Especially the way they swim with their and top and lower fins creating a waddling type stroke. Their eyes are tiny along with their mouth. But as odd as they may look, they are sufficiently fast swimmers when they want to take off.
Sea Plume by Andre Navarro
Grey Triggerfish by Andre Navarro
The views above and below the surface are amazing. From the dense and lush green forest leading to the ocean's edge, to the big bright blue sky that appears to be so much larger than everywhere else. The sun shines through the clear warm water, broken up by the gentle surface into a disco ball like effect. Everything you see along the shore reef will be well lit by the sun, no flashlights necessary. At times, the light is so intense and shiny through the water, it feels like I need sunglasses below the surface.
Yellowtail Parrotfish by Andre Navarro
Yellow Tube Sponge by Andre Navarro
Cruising the shore reef is fun and so relaxing. Just giving into my senses, especially the underwater scenery takes over my mind. Everything is so bright and colorful. Like this Yellow Tube Sponge. And then there's the seemingly endless underwater view. The water is so clear, it appears as you can see off into the endless distance. Which brings us to our next stop. The underwater ship pieces out front of the resort. They are only about 100 feet out and 10 to 12 feet deep, depending on the tide. But all the fish that gather around it are a sight to see.
Ship Pieces and fish by Andre Navarro
The largest piece appears to be from the deck of a ship or a barge. It’s about 8’ across, 12’ long and 5’ in depth. The entire inside is hallow, separated by metal pillars and supports. There are corals attached all along the bottom and the inside and outside is swarming with fish. Hundreds of fish. From Snappers, Grunts, Parrotfish, Surgeonfish, Barracudas, Damselfish and so much more. Usually there are 1 or 2 large pufferfish hanging out inside along with Moray Eels and Caribbean Spiny Lobsters at the very bottom. This large ship piece was placed here to create a fish habitat, artificial reef and has served it’s purpose well. 
Ship Piece Artificial Reef by Andre Navarro
This is my favorite attraction of the area. I love diving down and looking into the ship at all the fish. I explore every corner and hallowed out area. Every different view comes with it's own rewards of ocean life and beautiful views. The fish are very friendly here and don't scare away unless someone is making a big ruckus underwater or splashing around. You can dive down and calmly get engulfed with hundreds of fish and enjoy the moment. 
Snappers and Grunts by Andre Navarro
As much as I watch the fish, they watch me right back. With their tiny wondering eyes. They’re probably thinking, what’s this big thing doing down here, usually they’re up top bobbing around. When they realize I’m not a threat, they come in close as they seem to be trying to figure out what I’m up to. They often surround my camera and a brave few bump the glass in curiosity. There are several other smaller ship pieces in the area which can be found by following the large schools of fish going to and from them. If you enjoy photographing fish up close, this is a honeypot of opportunity.
The accompanying Youtube videos are first hand footage captured by Andre Navarro while freediving Isla Cozumel, Mexico. You can also view hundreds of beautiful photos of the awesome ocean life and underwater environments of Isla Cozumel in the Photos section, Images of Isla Cozumel, MexicoPublished by: Andre Navarro of Ocean Earth Green
I’m Andre Navarro, Southern California freediver and underwater videographer. I create ocean life adventure videos to connect viewers to our amazing underwater world to motivate stronger conservation and ocean life awareness. You can follow my ocean adventures here at OceanEarthGreen.com and view all my current and past videos at Youtube.com/OceanEarthGreen.